The 'Reverse' Martini

I had been wandering the brick streets of Biella on a rainy afternoon in May, stopping only for Aperol Spritzes at the various tabacchi dotting the Northern Italian city. Maybe it was the weather, or perhaps my own circadian rhythm, but what I really wanted as the clock approached five was a Martini. 

The only problem being that I’d had an aperitivo or two before, and was planning on a long, late dinner that would involve plenty of wine. As seasoned a drinker as I may be, one full-strength Martini in the middle might mean bowing out of dinner before the veal Milanese arrived. 

But as luck would have it, the last bar on my route—a real proper-looking operation dubbed 13900 Cocktail Bar, with vintage Campari bottles on display and suspender-wearing staff—had something it called the Reverse Sulfarin on its aperitivo menu. It was in fact an upside-down Martini, with the spirit ratio tilted in vermouth’s favor by a 2-1 margin, and additional complexity coming courtesy of a single drop each of orange bitters and saline solution.  

Visually, it was undistinguishable from a full-bore dry Martini, right down to the speared olives presented as its garnish. And it drank like a typical Martini too: clean, sharp and bracing, with a spirit-forward flavour profile that rang clear as a bell. 

It was in every way recognisable as a Martini…except that it wasn’t. The drink’s juniper factor had been reduced from that of an entire Christmas tree to a single sprig, and its lower ABV made for a sensation with less burn and more silk. And lest the heightened presence of vermouth make it too sweet, that sole drop of saline reminded the imbiber that it was still a slow-drinking affair to be savored.

 

13900 Cocktail Bar is far from the first to serve a Reverse Martini (as I’ll refer to it below), but its own riff has proven to be my favorite iteration. Its bartender and founder Alessio La Pietra was kind enough to provide its specs below, which I’ve adapted only by leaving the choice of vermouth and gin more general (for the record, 13900 utilizes Cinzano Vermouth di Torino Extra Dry and Tanqueray No. Ten—both outstanding choices). 

On that evening back in May, I arose from my bar stool and the now-empty Nick and Nora glass not in need of a nap, but primed and ready for the late dinner and long night to come. And therein lies the true genius of the Reverse Martini. 

Reverse Martini

60ml dry vermouth

30ml London dry gin

1 drop orange bitters

1 drop saline solution (1-part salt to 4 parts water)

Green olives, for garnish.

Add all ingredients to a stirring glass filled with ice and stir for thirty seconds, then strain into a chilled Nick and Nora glass. Garnish with speared green olives and serve.